Yehuda Harari

Yehuda Harari was born in 1919 in Hungary

Harari was born Yehuda Grinberger in Budapest, Hungary, in 1919. He studied at the Jewish Real Gymnasium and joined Betar as a youth. In 1938 he immigrated to the Land of Israel aboard the ship Draga.

He served in Betar labor companies, was active in Aliyah Bet and the Irgun, and was arrested several times by the Mandate police. In 1940 he volunteered for the British Army and later fought with the Jewish Brigade in Italy, earning the Military Medal. After the war he found his mother and sister in Hungary and led over 300 Holocaust survivors to a camp in Italy.

He joined the Haganah in 1947 and was badly wounded at Latrun in 1948. In 1949 he rebuilt the paratrooper unit, founded the parachuting school and set up Battalion 890, designing its wings and winged snake badge. He later commanded Brigade 5, served as chief of staff of Central Command and headed Training Command.

After leaving the IDF he was recruited to the Mossad. He was also an illustrator and cartoonist, publishing a book of cartoons in 1945 and a daily cartoon in Mabat. He died in 1980 and was buried at Kiryat Shaul cemetery.